Dear friends,
It is after a long time I come back to my blog. I feel like I am meeting up with a very old friend of mine. I had suffered from a severe case of writer's block, but there is one reason why I came back and that reason is 9lines.
As an architect, I am constantly driven by the need to be inspired for any of my projects. I rummage through old projects, world wide web, magazines, books and famous and non famous architects' and designers' works. I need to keep my mind stimulated and that can be done when I keep myself busy creatively. Being creative is no joke- you need brains, intellect and a passion to create something unique and "different"(if I may use that cliched word). When I had started my architecture degree, a lot of people thought I had taken an easy route after ditching dentistry, and little do they realize that architecture is a very hard field to be in- primarily because you are required to create something new.
When I first saw 9Lines, I fell in love with it. To many it may seem like just another one of those project, but to those with a discerning eye, 9Lines is actually a brilliant company producing some amazing products that contemporary, current, witty, quirky and just plain lovable.
Before I get into why I admire 9Lines so much, it's imperative I mention who the creative geniuses are behind this project. Namely, they are Hassan Iqbal Rizvi and Saad Shahid. More on them can be found here on their profiles. In short, they are talented individuals with a massive flair for creativity. They are both working professionals and one is even working towards his PhD. 9Lines is a labor of love for them and their passion and dedication shines through! Their talent, their creativity and their quirkiness is what I fell in love with!
1. Creativity! Creativity! Creativity!
The team at 9lines have done a wonderful job of coming out with creative everyday products, in particular notebooks and file folders. They have used pop music and movie icons like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, and one of my first purchase from them was the John Lennon notebook. I admired the creative touch that was given to the face profile. The digitized face of Lennon, the superimposed dupatta on Mona Lisa, the Pakistani cap on Che Guevara's face all shout of creativity at its best! You will find original ideas that are unique and fresh. The witty slogans, the quirky graphics and bold prints all scream out for attention, in a fun way!
2. Corporate Orders
Another reason why I love 9Lines is they also accommodate corporate orders. For Eid, I decided to give all my colleagues notebooks with my company's logo on it. Without a doubt, I was a very popular colleague and everyone LOVED the notebooks. You see, what I loved in particular was that they took my company's logo, kept the theme in mind and came out with a fun cover that fitted well with my company. It was not boring or serious, but rather fun and quirky in a semi formal way without making it seem like a childish thing. I am delighted to see my colleagues all bring these notebooks to our meetings.
3. Customization
The best part of 9Lines is they are constantly up to date with their products; whether it's Valentine's Day, Father's Day, Christmas or any occasion, they come out with the holiday specific range of products. In particular my favorite are the posters, and I have got one for my father for Father's day, several for my friends for New Years and they ALL loved it. You can easily have the posters/ notebooks customized to your liking.
I know of friends who buy 9Lines products and give it away as gifts. They make for perfect gifts for all sorts of people. What do you gift a guy? Tired of giving perfumes and ties? Give him a notebook with Al Pacino's Scarface. Its practical, cool and fun! Having said that, they do a wonderful job of customizing products for you. One friend in Dubai had a customized notebook made with her pet cat on the cover. Another friend in Saudi Arabia had customized notebooks made for her colleagues at school. 9Lines does a brilliant job of doing just that! A friend gifted me this notebook, knowing how much of a massive fan I am of the novel The Kite Runner. It was just perfect for me!
4. Being Pakistani!
I am a massive supporter of Pakistani culture, especially the arts. Which is why I absolutely love what 9Lines have done with the fusion of Pakistani and Western arts. Che Guevara becomes Che Balochi. Rickshaws become Road ka Raja. Maharajas and Maharanis are donned on Passport Covers and Laptop Bags. The fusion of Eastern motifs with Western elements and vice versa is a pure visual delight! Its culturally contemporary and we can all relate to it. These cultural mash-ups make for perfect gifts for those who want something unique with Pakistani culture. You can get notebooks, mugs, tshirts, laptop bags, tote bags, basically everything.
My personal favourite: an image of Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan with the slogan "Dekh Magar Pyar Se" (Look But With Love). (A slogan I came to understand much later!)
Nowhere else in Lahore, or Pakistan, will I find such kind of products. I am a massive fan of their notebooks and posters, and others will find amazing range of laptop bags, ipad cases, iphone covers, home accessories, tshirts and jewellery.
9Lines has seen a very fast growth in a short amount of time which is a testament to its success. Have a look through the Facebook page and next time you will know exactly what to get for yourself and your friends! It's where they keep on updating other fun things too, in particular, I really enjoyed the series on Movies and Fashion.
The 9lines Online Store is where you can place your orders and have it delivered to your place (yes, they also take international orders). I've had products delivered at my place and they do a great job.
Cheers. :-)
Mansour
It is after a long time I come back to my blog. I feel like I am meeting up with a very old friend of mine. I had suffered from a severe case of writer's block, but there is one reason why I came back and that reason is 9lines.
As an architect, I am constantly driven by the need to be inspired for any of my projects. I rummage through old projects, world wide web, magazines, books and famous and non famous architects' and designers' works. I need to keep my mind stimulated and that can be done when I keep myself busy creatively. Being creative is no joke- you need brains, intellect and a passion to create something unique and "different"(if I may use that cliched word). When I had started my architecture degree, a lot of people thought I had taken an easy route after ditching dentistry, and little do they realize that architecture is a very hard field to be in- primarily because you are required to create something new.
When I first saw 9Lines, I fell in love with it. To many it may seem like just another one of those project, but to those with a discerning eye, 9Lines is actually a brilliant company producing some amazing products that contemporary, current, witty, quirky and just plain lovable.
Before I get into why I admire 9Lines so much, it's imperative I mention who the creative geniuses are behind this project. Namely, they are Hassan Iqbal Rizvi and Saad Shahid. More on them can be found here on their profiles. In short, they are talented individuals with a massive flair for creativity. They are both working professionals and one is even working towards his PhD. 9Lines is a labor of love for them and their passion and dedication shines through! Their talent, their creativity and their quirkiness is what I fell in love with!
1. Creativity! Creativity! Creativity!
The team at 9lines have done a wonderful job of coming out with creative everyday products, in particular notebooks and file folders. They have used pop music and movie icons like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, and one of my first purchase from them was the John Lennon notebook. I admired the creative touch that was given to the face profile. The digitized face of Lennon, the superimposed dupatta on Mona Lisa, the Pakistani cap on Che Guevara's face all shout of creativity at its best! You will find original ideas that are unique and fresh. The witty slogans, the quirky graphics and bold prints all scream out for attention, in a fun way!
2. Corporate Orders
Another reason why I love 9Lines is they also accommodate corporate orders. For Eid, I decided to give all my colleagues notebooks with my company's logo on it. Without a doubt, I was a very popular colleague and everyone LOVED the notebooks. You see, what I loved in particular was that they took my company's logo, kept the theme in mind and came out with a fun cover that fitted well with my company. It was not boring or serious, but rather fun and quirky in a semi formal way without making it seem like a childish thing. I am delighted to see my colleagues all bring these notebooks to our meetings.
3. Customization
The best part of 9Lines is they are constantly up to date with their products; whether it's Valentine's Day, Father's Day, Christmas or any occasion, they come out with the holiday specific range of products. In particular my favorite are the posters, and I have got one for my father for Father's day, several for my friends for New Years and they ALL loved it. You can easily have the posters/ notebooks customized to your liking.
I know of friends who buy 9Lines products and give it away as gifts. They make for perfect gifts for all sorts of people. What do you gift a guy? Tired of giving perfumes and ties? Give him a notebook with Al Pacino's Scarface. Its practical, cool and fun! Having said that, they do a wonderful job of customizing products for you. One friend in Dubai had a customized notebook made with her pet cat on the cover. Another friend in Saudi Arabia had customized notebooks made for her colleagues at school. 9Lines does a brilliant job of doing just that! A friend gifted me this notebook, knowing how much of a massive fan I am of the novel The Kite Runner. It was just perfect for me!
4. Being Pakistani!
I am a massive supporter of Pakistani culture, especially the arts. Which is why I absolutely love what 9Lines have done with the fusion of Pakistani and Western arts. Che Guevara becomes Che Balochi. Rickshaws become Road ka Raja. Maharajas and Maharanis are donned on Passport Covers and Laptop Bags. The fusion of Eastern motifs with Western elements and vice versa is a pure visual delight! Its culturally contemporary and we can all relate to it. These cultural mash-ups make for perfect gifts for those who want something unique with Pakistani culture. You can get notebooks, mugs, tshirts, laptop bags, tote bags, basically everything.
My personal favourite: an image of Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan with the slogan "Dekh Magar Pyar Se" (Look But With Love). (A slogan I came to understand much later!)
Nowhere else in Lahore, or Pakistan, will I find such kind of products. I am a massive fan of their notebooks and posters, and others will find amazing range of laptop bags, ipad cases, iphone covers, home accessories, tshirts and jewellery.
9Lines has seen a very fast growth in a short amount of time which is a testament to its success. Have a look through the Facebook page and next time you will know exactly what to get for yourself and your friends! It's where they keep on updating other fun things too, in particular, I really enjoyed the series on Movies and Fashion.
The 9lines Online Store is where you can place your orders and have it delivered to your place (yes, they also take international orders). I've had products delivered at my place and they do a great job.
Cheers. :-)
Mansour
